Harvesting Willow

[Raider112]

Are there no restrictions on timing for this? happening now but if a farmer wants to flail a hedge on 1st March he has to do a site survey. No way a survey in willow could identify bird nests effectively.

 

[Doing it for the kids]

Good question, curious to hear the answer

arguably it’s a crop, can one harvest forestry at any time of the year?

 

[n.w]

Not particularly relevant but I have about 0.5 of a hectare of SRC which i use as windbreak, craft etc, Cut as needed when plant dormant, I did have some pet lambs eat off the new shoots over several weeks in the spring [about a dozen stools] and that effectively killed them........ the willow not the lambs.
My point being that to cut them in leaf might kill them

 

[renewablejohn]

Is it being harvested for transplanting.

 

[Raider112]

Is it being harvested for transplanting.

just the regular(ish) cutting for biofuel or whatever they use it for

 

[Raider112]

Good question, curious to hear the answer

arguably it’s a crop, can one harvest forestry at any time of the year?

pretty sure they would know what they were doing but there are a few deer in there so probably killed the fawns if they have been born and in the middle of the nesting season. Seems such a shame if it's allowed, why can't the same timescales apply?

 

[brigadoon]

Good question, curious to hear the answer

arguably it’s a crop, can one harvest forestry at any time of the year?

Some are more equal than others - some felling licences prohibit felling during birdnesting, some require a survey to be done.

FC - "if there is nothing rare on site we just crack on"

 

[Danllan]

Not particularly relevant but I have about 0.5 of a hectare of SRC which i use as windbreak, craft etc, Cut as needed when plant dormant, I did have some pet lambs eat off the new shoots over several weeks in the spring [about a dozen stools] and that effectively killed them........ the willow not the lambs.
My point being that to cut them in leaf might kill them

You have actually killed willow? Not sure I believe that, wait a season...

 

[brigadoon]

Not particularly relevant but I have about 0.5 of a hectare of SRC which i use as windbreak, craft etc, Cut as needed when plant dormant, I did have some pet lambs eat off the new shoots over several weeks in the spring [about a dozen stools] and that effectively killed them........ the willow not the lambs.
My point being that to cut them in leaf might kill them

I think you should specifically market those lambs - I have never yet met a willow tree that was fazed by cutting - if you leave cut lengths in any contact with the ground down here the damn things root again

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Not particularly relevant but I have about 0.5 of a hectare of SRC which i use as windbreak, craft etc, Cut as needed when plant dormant, I did have some pet lambs eat off the new shoots over several weeks in the spring [about a dozen stools] and that effectively killed them........ the willow not the lambs.
My point being that to cut them in leaf might kill them

This was cut 3 days ago,
I dont know of any other plant that grows like it . I have some over 10ft that was cut back last Autumn.
But if sheep kept eating those shoots it would give up and die

 

[n.w]

Ha Ha you may have point Brigadoon...Danllan, heres some now and then pics. as said the lambs got in a temporary fence and i thought oh well what harm can they do !... I planted about 200 willow slips about 20yrs ago as a windbreak, now i have several thousands. we also sell willow slips as windbreak cover all over the Western Isles.. Im very fond of Willows..

 

[Danllan]

Ha Ha you may have point Brigadoon...Danllan, heres some now and then pics. as said the lambs got in a temporary fence and i thought oh well what harm can they do !...

You haven't waited long enough, yet...